On 17 November 2015, we celebrated the publication of the Momaya Short Story Review 2015, a compilation of some of the finest short stories written in English this year. Some of the authors have published stories or books previously, but for many, this was their first (but we hope, not their last) publication.

Monisha Saldanha (Founder, Momaya Press) welcomes guests

Treasure was the theme for the Momaya Annual Review 2015. In the First Place story “Finders Keepers”, the ocean delivers a mysterious boy to a group of lonely tower keepers. A young mother seeks a new beginning with her baby girl in “Seahorse”, which placed second. The Third Place “Ornithological” explores the romance of missing diamonds in the expanse of Namibia. These stories explore love and covetousness, loss and discovery.

Our sincere thanks to the judges who reserved time in their busy schedules to read the entries, the writers who have honoured us by sharing their work, and the readers who give purpose to our efforts.

Jacky Taylor’s “Finders Keepers” placed first in the Momaya Short Story Competition 2015

While it may be true that we all have a novel to write, most of us won’t find the time to do so. Our 3,000 word limit is about five pages typed – it’s something you can write during your lunch break, instead of watching TV after dinner, or by getting up a bit earlier on the weekend.

Submit your story to Momaya Press and an experienced judge will read your story, reflect upon it, and make a considered judgement on whether your story should be published in this year’s annual review. It’s an incredible validation of your ability. It is an act of courage to share your words with the world.

Actress Fran Wilde reads first place story “Finders Keepers”

Barack Obama recently told novelist Marilynne Robinson that reading fiction had taught him how to be a citizen, which was to do “with being comfortable with the notion that the world is complicated and full of greys, but there’s still truth there to be found… And the notion that it’s possible to connect with some[one] else even though they’re very different from you.”

Evenings like this, where we bring together writers and readers, are moments of magic, during which what is usually a solitary affair (whether you’re writing or reading) becomes a communal experience. We hope the attendees made some new, meaningful, connections with like-minded souls.

We thank the thousands of readers and writers who support Momaya Press, and we encourage everyone who reads these words to submit their short story to our competition. The theme for 2016 is “Ambition” and we are accepting entries on momayapress.com until 30th April 2016. We hope we will have the pleasure of reading your submission!